Poke began with fishermen in Hawaii seasoning the cut-offs from their catch to serve as a snack. Traditional poke' seasonings have been heavily influenced by Japanese and other Asian cuisines. For this Happy Hour we will prepare different variations of this dish with flavors from the countries that influenced Hawaiian-style cuisine. From 1852 to the present, Hawaii has encountered major waves of immigration from China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Portugal. My connection to Hawaii is deeply personal and spans back to my grandparents' migrating to Hawaii from the Philippines before and after World War II. Growing up, I spent nearly every summer with my grandparents in Hawaii. It was there I got my start in cooking by shadowing my grandparents in the kitchen. Under their wing I learned to make traditional Filipino dishes from my grandparents’ provinces. During these summers I also developed tastes for local Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Native Hawaiian dishes from tuna poke', lau lau, chicken katsu, to meat jhun, and to cold ginger chicken (just to name a few). I’ve spent my life making and personalizing these dishes, at first to eat, and then as the years went by, to share. Live tunes provided by Lenny San Jose, aka Ukulenny, is a performer and educator based in the East Bay. Born and raised in San Diego, he rocked his guitar to the sounds of Green Day, Weezer, and Sublime at a young age. It wasn't until graduating with a music degree from UC Berkeley in 2008 that he decided to pick up the uke, and falling in love with the instrument, began teaching and posting covers on YouTube. His audience today currently includes over 65,000 subscribers worldwide, and he has performed at ukulele festivals, Filipino fiestas, college showcases, weddings, and other events throughout California, Hawaii, Nevada, Florida, Tennessee, and even in the Philippines. Aside from his solo career, he also plays with a jazz duo dubbed The Bob and Lenny Show, and with ukulele songstress Cynthia Lin. Teamed up with fellow YouTuber Cynthia Lin, he co-leads the SF Uke Jam, based in Japantown SF. Lenny also teaches group classes in Albany, and private lessons worldwide. Lenny is a sponsored Kala artist, so you can also check out his tutorials on the Kala Brand website. (www.kalabrand.com/learntoplay) For more info, visit www.ukulenny.com. With this special happy hour, we invite you to continue a tradition of sharing culture and memory at the dinner table. Please join us for a sentimental meal, libations, and great company. *If any special access is needed, please contact us in advance at (510) 755-5055 or [email protected].